Not sure if there's rewards or potential benefits to using a smaller bank. 

But it has been beyond rewarding.

I've found that investing is a lot different than you think I'll be, there are days when the grind is almost too much, but just push through and you'll find great reward on the other side!

Good luck with your investing, OOS is tough of course but can be rewarding with the right team and systems.See the post above that I sent to @Jack Plantin, I answer your questions pretty specifically. 

All that really matters is GP is properly motivated from both a risk / reward side.

Avoid these maintenance landmines and be rewarded with furthering your real estate journey.

I know there are numerous factors, but I'm trying to avoid "analysis paralysis" by overwhelming myself with all of the angles.

If you buy right (decent condition, property in a good location), it’s possible to achieve both cash flow and appreciation here, with appreciation being the bigger reward in my experience.   

You don't need a license to flip or to own, however if you are serious about flipping, there are numerous advantages to having a license, It doesn't take much,just about 40-75 hours, depending on which state, I would highly recommend it. 

I get numerous complaints from my "good" tenants, complaining about Joe.